A variety of absorbent articles that include different colored regions are available in the to market. Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and female adult incontinence articles that function to collect fluid discharged from a woman's vagina or urethra sometimes include a colored region proximal the central portion of the absorbent article that differs in color from portions of the absorbent article remote from the central portion of the absorbent article. Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins have also been known to include decorative designs on the topsheet and backsheet that are appealing to consumers. However, absorbent articles currently available in the market place are generally provided with colored regions on only a single component, such as the secondary topsheet or topsheet or backsheet. One reason for limiting the colored regions to such single components is the difficulties associated with registering colored regions disposed on multiple components during manufacturing. Nevertheless, limiting colored regions to a single component or layer limits the design space in which designers can create innovative designs that meet consumer demands.
High speed manufacturing lines that include printing capability represent a high capital cost to manufacturers of absorbent articles. For manufacturers to effectively recover the cost of such capital, it is advantageous for manufactures to use existing manufacturing lines to continue manufacturing absorbent articles. In some instances, the approach manufacturers have chosen to provide for colored regions might not be easily adapted to provide for colored regions that are disposed on multiple components or layers due to the crowded nature of the manufacturing line. Thus, if a manufacturer desires to provide for visual elements on multiple components of the absorbent article, the manufacturer might have to retool the manufacturing line to provide for additional printing and registration capabilities, thus incurring additional capital cost.
With these limitations in mind, there is a continuing unaddressed need for absorbent articles that can be manufactured cost effectively using existing manufacturing capability that can be provided with colored regions on multiple layers so that designers have a richer palette of color impression with which to work. Still further there is a need for providing absorbent articles with colored regions on multiple layers without requiring additional printing capabilities for printing on multiple layers or registration capabilities for registering the colored regions on multiple layers during manufacturing.